Denden Baldeo: Drumming to the Beat of Success

Denden has been with AS White Global since 2014. Starting out as a data entry agent, he worked his way up to higher-level positions as a Quality Assurance Officer and then in his current role as Service Desk Specialist. Despite the challenges at work, Denden finds fulfilment in solving problems and in motivating his team to never give up. Get to know Denden and his insights on customer service management in the IT field.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Outside of work, what are your hobbies or interests?

Genius Denmarc Baldeo is my name but you can call me Denden for short. I’ve worked for ASW for more than eight years. Currently, as a Service Desk Specialist, I offer first-level help to internal and external clients who request technical support and resources via phone calls, chat, email, or walk-ins. I applied for this position because I wanted to learn more, get out of my comfort zone, and continue to use the abilities I had learned in my academics.

Outside of work, I play the drums in a band and record music. I enjoy being creative, especially when I’m remodeling my room. I enjoy DIY projects and I’ve experimented with them during the pandemic. I also enjoy using Illustrator to create a Chibi character, collecting Funko Pops, playing competitive video games, and watching vlogs/videos, especially those that focus on memes, basketball, history, and cars.

2. How did you become interested in this field? What led you to focus on customer service management?

I find working as a service desk specialist to be a truly fulfilling profession. Although not all customers are in the best mood when they first phone, I am aware that it is one of the most rewarding experiences you could hope for at work when you can solve their problems and turn an irate customer into a satisfied one.

3. What are your key qualities that made you stand out as a candidate for this role?

The capacity to successfully manage and create answers for challenging and unexpected situations is probably one of my strongest traits. I’m also organized; I make plans and use notes to keep track of my activities.

4. What’s a regular workday like for you? What do you like most about your work?

I like to check my reminders first thing in the morning to make sure I have finished all my unresolved issues. I reply to emails and give them my full attention because I want to make sure I’m giving my best. As a result, I normally begin with those chats and respond as soon as I can or do the appropriate short actions to give them the answers to any questions they may have.

The troubleshooting is the aspect of my job that I enjoy the most. Particularly those matters that you are unaware of. It’s a fantastic feeling to believe you can handle challenging situations without assistance from your peers.

5. What kinds of challenges do you encounter and how do you normally deal with them?

Possibly when you have a lot of tickets. Typically, you already feel stressed out with your load and ongoing follow-ups. In that scenario, I give priority to the most straightforward and crucial ticket before I go on to the trickiest one.

6. Did you enrol in any of ASW’s Learning and Development online courses? If yes, what were the courses that helped you the most?

The courses on Critical Thinking and Decision-Making have helped me the most. When I am faced with a challenging circumstance that calls for an immediate solution, I apply what I’ve learned in these courses.

7. What changes have you seen within yourself, personally and professionally, when you took on a leadership role?

One of the changes I’ve noticed personally is being effective in persuading others. Sometimes, when my team members are getting burned out because of the workload and they’re thinking about quitting, I encourage them to have some goals that will help them to get back on track.

8. How do you guide and motivate your team?

I lead and inspire my team members by promoting team happiness. Employees who are content with their jobs are energetic and upbeat team players, and their attitude is contagious. Monitor your employees’ satisfaction with their work and with yourself. You can expect this unhappiness to spread if they are not satisfied.

9. Who do you admire as a leader and why?

Steve Jobs is the leader I admire most. His “meticulous eye for detail” and creative awareness were undoubtedly key factors in Apple’s success.

10. Is there a goal – personal or professional – that you want to achieve? What are your plans to reach your goals?

I personally hope to work as a graphic designer eventually, so I use my free time to enrol in courses through Coursera and LinkedIn. I want to learn how to be more creative and gain knowledge on the most cutting-edge tools that graphic designers utilise.

11. If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? If not, what would you change?

I would follow the same path. Choosing to major and pursue a career in Information Technology was certainly the right path for me.

12. Thanks for your time! What advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in this field?

As an IT specialist, you may engage in a variety of tasks that require you to assess database activity and make recommendations for enhancements. You can also find yourself in a situation where you need to troubleshoot an issue with almost anything. You’ll get the solutions you need to do your job well if you can analyse and critically think through challenges.